Bathing-cap



0; R. IEFFERS.

BATHING CAP.

APILICATION FILED JULY 30.; 19H.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

OWEN R. JEFFmtS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL PATENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed July 30, 1917. Serial No. 183,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN R. JEFFERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certainnew and usefullImprovements in Bathing-Caps, of whichthe following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to bathing caps, especially to those designed forladies wear,

the prime object of the invention being to provide a cap that isabsolutely Water-tight.

The complete enjoyment of bathing and Swimming has heretofore beendiscounted .for the ladies by reason of the fact that it is impossiblefor them to indulge without getthe hair wet, there beingno bathingcapson the market which will meet this requirement. The constant demand forsuch a cap has prompted this invention.

It is obvious that if a bathing cap is to be waterproof, its edges mustfit snugly and securely against the head of the wearer. In the caps atpresent available, such fitting is approximated by tension,.that is tosay, when in use the edge of the cap is stretched and thus held intoposition on the head. The elasticity of thefiiaterial, even whenreinforced by a contracting bj'and, does not meet the situation,however,.for the reason that if the edge of the cap encircles the headon the surface of greatest circumference, it does not inclose the hairat the neck. And if the cap is pulled .down far enough to cover thatportion ofthe, hair, the contracting edge no longer has its maximumeflectiveness'inasmuch as it is'work ing upon a smaller circumference-It is also true that caps of the description, must necessarily have thebottom edges cut onia straight line so as to provide a direct andeffective contracting force, and it is therefore impractical to design acap that, will have sufficient contraction and at the same timeinclose'the neck hair. In the event, however, that such a cap could bedesigned having the greatest possible tension and so set upon the headas to incase all of the wearers head, it would not bewater-tight, forthe reason that the stretched edging would not conform to the contour ofthe head, but would only set tightly across flat portions and againstprotuberances thus allowing the Water to creep in wherever de pressionswere present.

An eflicient cap, therefore, is one that rubber fastened to the bodyportion will provide a covering for all ofthe hair and at the same timepresent an edging that will conform to and tightly fit the shape of thehead. I

Accordingly'I have designed such a cap, the same being illustrated inthe accompanylng drawings and constructed in the following .manner.Figure 1 of the drawings shows the cap 1n place on the .head of thewearer; and

, Fig. 2 is a detail of the inflatable tube and valve, the view beingtaken in section through the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Reference numeral 10 represents the body portion-of the cap, made frompure gum or other light weight sheet rubber to be worn so that theloweror opening edge of the the back of the neck. Around the bottom of thecap and on the outside is cemented or vulcanized a contracting band 11of heavy preferably one and a half to two inches in width. Disposedabout the inner lower edge of thecap is a thin rubber strip 12preferably one-half to three quarters of an inch in width, the sideedges only of which are vulcanized or otherwise securely 10, leaving thefree space 13 available to receive and hold air pumped or otherwiseintroduced through the valve 14. The inner strip 12, therefore,corresponds to or constitutes an inflatable tube passing around thelower edge of the cap. If this inner tubing be inflated to the properdegree, and the cap placed in posiinternally screw-t readed andcentrally 106 aperturedin its inner end member 16. At its outer oropening edge said cup is rovided with anfannular flange 17 whic issecurely fastened between the body portion 10 and contracting .band 11.Coacting with 110 to allow hollow stem and unscrewed.

lower end of plu tionally engage the inner walls of plug 18.

Said stem has its'ends tapered to provide 'for such frictionalengagement, and it is through this medium that plug 18 is screwed Whenthe plug is tightly screwed into the cup 15 its solid end 18 abutsagainst the 'apertured, end 16 of said cup thereby imprisoning 'When'theplug is unscrewed an outlet for the air in tube 13.

the air is presented through the apertured end '16, the space betweencup 15 and the 18 and thence through port 19. In filling the tube thecourse is merely reversed, the air being presented at port 19 -b blowingor pumping through stem 20. en the desired amount of pressure has beensecured, plug 18 is screwed in. 20 removed. Other forms be usedadvantightly and stem of valve may, of course, tageously, and while Ihave otherwise described in detail the structure which to me seems bestadapted for accomplishing the body portion of the cap objects of my.invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to theprecise form shown nor as excluding from the protection afiorded by theappended claims modifications in construction and arrangement whichembrace the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A- bathing cap having its lower edge provided with an inner pneumatictube and an outer relatively broad and heavy contractible and expansibleband, said band curved edgewise to extend when in place from theforehead to a point back of the ears and thence downwardly around theback of the neck.

2. A bathing cap having permanently associated therewith pneumatictubing at the inner lower portion'thereof, and an elastic band at theexterior lower portion.

3. A bathing cap having. a body portion and a contracting band andpneumatic tubing at the edge thereof, the lower edge of the cap disposedbetween the tube and band. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signedmy name 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesse's.

. OWEN R. J EFFERS. Witnesses FRANKLIN M.WARDEN, EBBA F. NYDEN.

